Love Through the Lost Ones
by longlivepat
Summary: A Taang/slight Zutara story. Takes place right after Zuko's Firelord speech and then I change the storyline completely! (No Maiko reunion, Kataang kiss, etc.,) R&R! Summary: Through their hurtful rejections, Aang ad Toph find themselves in aituation they never thought they'd never be in together: Love.
1. Happily Ever After

**My second ATLA story! This one's an actual story and not a drabble. Sorry I haven't been on in FOREVER but school's out sooooo**

**A Taang/little bit of Zutara story that takes pretty much the moment after Zuko's Firelord speech. No Kataang kiss/ Maiko reunion. Don't get me wrong, I am a HUGE and HARDCORE Kataang, Maiko and Tokka shipper asdfghjkl; but Taang's also one of my OTPs... if that makes any sense at all ;D**

**Please make your way through the first two or three chapters! The story has a big and complicated beginning but then it gets really good, in my opinion... the Taang starts in chapter three. Angsty at first but gets kind of fluffy a bit later. I'll try to update every day since it's summer vaca. R&R!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Anything. Unless I come up with an oc later. We'll see.**

**Chapter 1- Happily Ever After**

Their happily ever after was far away.

The bang, followed at nearly the same time by a huge shake, woke up Katara, Aang, Sokka, and Toph. Zuko had already been awake, since he had not fallen asleep that night. He should have been at peace and happy - but the great stress of the information he'd been told a few minutes after he'd be crowned Firelord made any rest impossible.

It all started when Zuko walked into his palace with Aang, the day after his speech. Katara, Sokka and Toph had alreayd returned, but Aang had to stay to help with damage from the war. He was the only non-Fire-Nation to volunteer. Everyone else was in teh Earth Kingdom. Suddenly, two people dressed in black, only visible by their amber eyes, jumped from the hiding place in the dark hallway that Zuko was walking down with Aang. They were attacked.

"You are a traitor!" one called, a man. "You betrayed this country! You are no Fire nation Citizen! You have no right to lead us!"

As the other one, a woman, began to speak, Aang intervened. The ninjas, with incredible speed and lightness, slipped away into the darkness, unable to be caught.

"What just happened?" Zuko asked.

"I don't know," Aang said. "But I think you had your first encounter with an Ozai Supporter."

_Ozai Supporter._ That was when everything clicked together - what awaited for him in the future.

"I don't think that there's many of them," Aang continued. "Many of the Fire nation probably changed their ways after seeing what happened to the other Nations. After your speech - it was incredible."

Zuko just nodded absently into space. He didn't want to accept what was happening. How had he not seen this coming?

"I think I'm going to the Earth Kingdom with you."

"What?!" Aang said. "But you just became Firelord! Why are you leaving?"

"It's complicated," Zuko replied, although he knew it really wasn't - it was simple. "Only for a week," but he didn't have an idea. Maybe the supporters would leave Ozai, or maybe there'd be a civil war. Anything could happen, but Zuko knew there was thing he had to do right away - get out of the Fire Nation.

"When are we leaving?"

"Tomorrow evening. We'll get to Ba Sing Se in the evening."

"Sorry, Aang, but I have to insist we leave tonight. It's really important."

"You shouldn't do that. It'll only make more people go against you if you leave without a good reason. They won't believe in you. I know you're worried, Zuko, but just try to stay the safest you can."

"There must be so many Ozai Supporters out there. Who knows how long it will take for one mistake to happen and end my life."

"Zuko, you had the whole world against you for three years! You can get through this."

"No one knew where I was then. Now I have a huge title and everyone knows exactly where I am."

"I guess... I know what to do. Instead of going to the Earth Kingdom, we'll just bring all of the gang here! They'll help protect you until it's safer. Katara, Toph, Sokka, we could get the Kyoshi warriors... no one would be able to get through all of us!"

Zuko still felt unsettled. "I cant risk all of your safety for me."

"Zuko, you know we'll always support you! Don't worry; no one will get hurt-"

"Fine," Zuko knew that Aang wouldn't stop. "I'm going to bed."

"Me too."

However, Aang didn't do that. He sneaked out once Zuko was in his room and got Appa.

"Appa, yip-yip!"

Aang may have been utterly exhausted, but he put his friends first. He didn't get to Ba Sing Se until the next morning.

"Aang!" Toph was the first to notice his presence. Everyone - Sokka, Toph, and Katara ran out to meet him.

"Aang! How'd you get here so quickly? Have been flying all night?"

Aaang nodded groggily. "Zuko's in... danger... Ozai Supporters... We have to protect him."

"We have to help him," Sokka said. "Aang, go get some shut-eye while we get our things. You need it. We can't have you falling asleep while we're flying."

"No," Katara said. "Aang, you aren't able to fly anymore until you're better rested. I'll fly us. Just tell us what's going on." That's something Aang loved about Katara - she was so caring. He nodded.

About three hours later, everyone got onto Appa. As they flew, Aang informed them about what was happening with Zuko. "I knew there were going to be some people who still believed in Ozai, but there's a lot - _a lot_. Just a little a bit after he was crowned Firelord he had his first assassin attack. He has a lot of security, but not enough. We have to get there fast. We'll be staying in the Fire Nation for a while, to protect Zuko. I think that as long as he stays strong and leads the Fire Nation well, the Fire nation will adapt to Zuko. We just have to be there for him until that happens."

Toph, Sokka, and Katara agreed. "We should try to see if the Kyoshi Warriors will come," Aang continued. "But I didn't have enough time to get them right away."

"I'd love that! I was worried I wasn't going to get to see Suki for a while!" Sokka exclaimed gleefully.

Toph turned away from Sokka bitterly. "Maybe we shouldn't get the Kyoshi Warriors to come. More people makes the situation seem larger. It will just make the Supporters angrier and more determined."

Sokka agreed sadly. "I guess."

The gaang arrived at nearly midnight. Aang led them to floor where the best rooms were. Aang pointed out Zuko's room, where the Firelord was unable to sleep for the second night in a row. They were all next to each other.

Almost an hour later, Katara was sure everyone was asleep, she slipped out of bed. She knew that Zuko wouldn't have fallen asleep. She entered his room.

Zuko sat up immediately. "Katara? Is that you?"

"Yeah," she answered. "I knew you wouldn't be able to sleep. I wanted to see how you were doing."

Zuko put his head in his hands. "I thought I had finally found peace. Happiness. I just never ends! And now, you're all at risk-"

"Zuko, I won't ever turn my back on people who need me. It's a rule I go by. And... you need me." Katara felt so much for Zuko. What he'd gone through... she wanted help him, comfort him, give him love. She'd just recently realized her... feelings for Zuko. When he got struck with lightning by Azula. He'd almost died... and Katara hadn't felt so scared since that happened with Aang.

"If any of you get hurt," Zuko said quietly. It was easy to see that he was fighting back tears. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself..."

"We'll be fine, Zuko."

"... if _you _got hurt..."

Zuko's last few words hit Katara with a shock. Did he love her? What was he saying? She took his hand and gently squeezed. "I won't get hurt. Believe me."

Zuko squeezed back. "I've never met anyone like you, Katara. Your kindness, the way you always care for people... I can't put in to words the way I feel about you."

"I can, about you. I..."

Before she finished her sentence, Zuko pulled away. "You should go to sleep. You'll need it. It's late."

"Zuko..."

"Katara, go to sleep. I'll see you in the morning."

So she did, extremely hurt. She was sure he knew what she wanted to say, and pushed her away. Did that mean... he didn't love her back? He rejected her?

Eventually, sleep took over Katara's mind and put her into a dreamless sleep, until the bang.

The bang of the palace exploding.


	2. Rejection

**Hey there! Thank you for making it until Chapter 2 :) Please continue reading, I have ****establish A LOT OF BORING STUFF for the story to make sense, please just read through it, THERE WILL BE TAANG IN THE NEXT CHAPTER! Please. Bear with me here. Writing introductions isn't the most exciting thing ever either.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

**Chapter 2 - Rejection**

_Bang!_

The whole palace shook.

"What was that?!" Katara screamed from her room.

"An explosion! We're under attack!" Zuko yelled back. "Get out! Now!"

Everyone jumped out of their bed quickly. Down the hallway, a huge fire was blazing and quickly nearing their rooms. They had about a minute and half before it hit the closest rooms - Zuko and Aang's. Toph, Zuko, and Aang were ale to jump out without hurting themselves, using their bending, since they were several stories high, but there wasn't any water around for Katara and Sokka was a non-bender. By this time, the fire started tearing away at Katara's door.

"Help!" she cried.

"Me too! I can't get out!" Sokka added.

"Just jump!" Aang called back! I'll try to break your fall with airbending!"

So they did. Both Katara and Sokka were merely inches away from being smashed flat, but Aang stopped their fall well enough that they were just a bit bruised and sore.

"Ow," Sokka moaned. He and Katara were having trouble getting up.

"Guys, get up," Aang said. "We don't have enough time to wait for you. We have to leave. Now."

The siblings rose to their feet. "This way!" Aang yelled, pointing towards the stables. "Get onto Appa!"

FIre was pouring out of the building now. It covered almost the entire palace. Far up, they saw an air ship with a dozen firebenders shooting fire down at the palace.

Toph felt lost and helpless, a feeling she couldn't stand - she couldn't see where the fire was coming from, so she wasn't able to dodge. She reached for Sokka's hand, as a lifeline like from a few days ago, when Sokka was the only thing she could sense in the world. But before she could take his hand, Aang took hers. "Come," he said quietly. "I'll help you dodge the fire."

The gang got onto Appa quickly. "Yip-yip!" Aang said quickly, and Appa ran out of the stables and soared into the sky. Luckily the stables were pretty far away from the palace, so by the time they were spotted, they were too far to get shot at.

"I guess we're back to old times," Sokka commented ten minutes later.

"Yeah," Toph replied. "But... what _was _that?"  
"Ozai followers," Zuko answered. "People who want my father to keep ruling, and me assassinated. It's why you came here. I knew I shouldn't have let Aang bring you. You could have been all killed."  
Katara wanted to answer, but she still wasn't over their conversation earlier. She couldn't stand talking to him, yet she also couldn't stand _not _talking to him.

"Zuko," Aang said. "We won't let you be in danger without helping. We're a team. We stick together, no matter what. I'll take us somewhere safe - our launching point for the Day of Black Sun. You can't be spotted by _anyone _right now, so we'll have to hide out from civilization for the next little while."

"Then who will rule the Fire Nation?" Zuko asked.

"Still you," Sokka replied. "You never resigned. You're still the Firelord."  
"But Aang was right about something he told me yesterday - if I leave, the Fire Nation will only hate me more."  
"We'll only hide out for a while," Katara forgot that she was supposed to be mad at Zuko. "Until we find another way for you to rule the Fire Nation without people knowing your whereabouts."

"I guess I'll do that."

Sokka noticed Toph just staring bankly at her feet. "Toph, do you have anything to say about this? You're being really quiet."

"Oh, um, yeah, sure. Sounds great." Everyone was baffled at Toph's unusual awkwardness.

By dawn, they reached the spot where they hid out from the Day of Black Sun. No one bothered to set up camp - everyone was exhausted. They fell asleep on Appa's back.

"Sokka," Toph started. "I, um, well, I really like you, and, now we'll have to go our separate ways, but... I don't really want to... because, I uh, I... kind of... like you.. but... more than that... like... love..."

"Toph," Sokka said, confused. "What are saying?"

"Sokka... I... I love you, Sokka."

"But... I'm with Suki."

"I know! But... I still do. I can't help it. Please. Say something."

"I'm sorry, Toph, but... I love Suki, not you. You're just a friend to me. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too."

Toph was shaken from her memory from yesterday as Sokka said, "Toph, do you have anything to say about this?" She'd gotten lost in thought as they were on flying away on Appa - the memory from the night before was raw and hurtful in many degrees. She'd confessed her love to Sokka, and he'd rejected her. Without a second though.

"Oh, um, yeah, sure. Sounds great."

Everyone set up camp the next morning. Zuko and Toph left in search of food and firewood, Sokka set up their sleeping area, and Katara and Aang went to get the water.

When they were far away from everyone else, Aang said, "Katara, we need to talk."

"About what?"  
"Us."

"Us?"

"Yeah. You know... how I feel. And I need to know how you feel back."

"Look, Aang, I'm sorry. But... no. You're like a brother to me. Not a partner."

Tears sprung up as Katara answered his question so easily, and not with the answer he'd wanted to hear.

"Why not? After everything we've been through?"

"Aang, I don't want to hurt your feelings, but... there's somebody else."

"Who? Someone who deserves you more?"

"Aang!"  
There was only one person that Aang thought it could be. Someone who Katara had been unusually close to since they'd fought Azula: Zuko. "It's Zuko, isn't it. Well, he is already with Mai, so why don't you stop screwing around with other people's feelings!" Aang stormed off, into the woods. There were tears streaming down his, a lot of them. He hadn't cried this hard since he'd found Gyatso's body.

Katara. Katara, the beautiful, lovely, caring girl, that Aang wanted to spend his life with, doesn't feel the same way back. Not even a little bit. After everything they'd gone through - everything, and she didn't feel the least bit of love to him the way he did to her. It was too hard to comprehend.

Aang sat down at the trunk of an old, dark tree, and cried. Cried over his lost love.

He didn't come back until the next morning.  
***

Zuko and Toph returned very quickly. Searching for stuff is pretty easy when you have a blind girl by your side that can sense everything around her.

"I'm going to go practice my firebending. I need to be at the top of my game for fighting the Supporters."

Zuko left and went over to an open area far away, and out of earshot. Toph seized her chance to have a moment alone with Sokka.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"About what?" Sokka turned around, confused.

"About _me_, meathead. You don't have any feelings at all for me? At all?"

"I'm sorry, Toph, but you and I aren't mean to be. My soulmate is Suki. I'm sure yours it out there, waiting for you. You'll find him soon, I know it."

"Why are you so calm about this?"

"I - I don't know, Toph."

"Because I thought that you did like me, Sokka. I thought that you were giving me messages. But you just squashed all of the hope! I thought that there was someone out there who'd love me! And I thought that person was you."

"Toph..."

"Just leave me alone. I'm used to that feeling enough already."

That night, Sokka asked, "Where's Aang?"

"Oh boy, did Twinkle Toes disappear _again_?"

"He's in the woods," Katara muttered, a mix of anger and sadness in her voice. Did Aang really love her that much? Would he ever talk to him again? It had all happened too fast - she didn't have time to think things over.

"Why?" Zuko asked. "He upset about something?"

"No," Katara lied. SH couldn't tell them how horrible she'd been to him yet. "There's just been a lot of craziness going on. He wanted a break."

No one seemed too convinced at Katara's response, but no one asked anymore questions. She was pretty sure Zuko, Toph and Sokka knew that Aang was upset and why, and she was right.

And while Team Avatar, minus the Avatar, ate their dinner in silence, problems were brewing in the hearts of five teenagers:

Two broken hearted, lonely people

Two siblings who didn't love back,

And one confused Firelord in the midst of a revolution.

The rejection was just the beginning.


	3. Comfort

**I am so proud that you've made it this far! This is where the story gets good, as in gets a plot :/ anywhere FINALLY I CAN WRITE MY TAANG BBYS 333 Anyway this is a really short chapter... but the next one should be longer :/**

**Chapter 3 - Comfort**

"I'm going to go look for Aang," Toph said. "I wonder what mystical he's stumbled upon this time."

Katara wasn't envious of seeing Aang again just yet, though. "Toph-"

"Yeah, Sugar Queen?" Toph's surprising anger shocked Katara. "You're just going to leave him alone?"

Toph didn't have to say that she knew, how Katara had upset Aang - and his feelings for her. It was obvious. "You don't know what it's like, being alone. You've always had _someone _there for you, through everything. Wether it was Sokka, Aang, your dad, all of us - you don't know what it's like to be alone. But Aang does, and I do. After everything that's happened, he shouldn't be alone."

Toph stormed off into the woods. She was getting really sick of these Water Tribe siblings.

"Aang?" she cried. She couldn't feel him anywhere. "Aang? You there?"

"I'm here," she heard a voice said quietly from up above, in a tree.

"Aang? That's you up there?" She began to sense him about - he was really high up.

"Yeah."  
"Come down please?"

"Why should I?"

"Because I can't go up there. Too high up."

"What if I want to stay up here."

"Twinkle Toes, don't be a baby. Get down here."

"Why?"

"You shouldn't be alone. It's getting dark."

"I know my way back."

"Aang! Stop being a sissy!"

"Fine."

Aang jumped and slowly airbent his way down to the ground gracefully. "So, what did you really get me to come down here for?"

"I know you're hurting."

"Why should you care?" Toph could here Aang's voice cracking a bit.

"Aang, Aang, it's... it's okay." She pulled him into a hug - she'd never been that close to him before. Aang began to weep silently into her arms, and she did, too.

"You're not alone anymore, Aang."

"I thought - I thought she loved me... She loves everyone else..."

"I know, Aang, I know, everything will be okay."

"You're not alone anymore either, Toph."

"Yeah. I guess I'm not."


	4. Two Halves

**So, sorry I'm being so slow but I had a busy day soooooooo**

**Anyway, if you've made it this far, congrats! There will be Taang but also some more boring stuff, this should be the last boring chapter. After this it will 90% TOPH AND AANG BEING ALL CUTE AND WHATNOT. So yeah. Please. Read on. This is a short chapter but I'm going to try to upload the next one tonight too ^_^**

**Chapter 4- Two Halves**

They stopped talking.

Over the course of a year and a half, Aang, Toph, Zuko, Katara, and Sokka had a world revolving around Zuko being Firelord, ending the Ozai age. They would have him show up at random places at random times for short periods, have him make speeches. It was stressful, and they were extremely lucky - eighteen months later, Zuko was almost entirely accepted as Firelord, and the world was peaceful. All the meanwhile, they had to bring the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes to their former glory. And to top it all off, Aang, Zuko, and King Kuei came together and founded a new nation - the United Republic of Nations.

However, as you probably know, this wasn't their happily ever after.

Team Avatar had to deal with their relationships.

They stopped talking, Sokka and Katara to Aang and Toph. The hurt in the airbender and earthbender's hearts ran too deep to acknowledge their faces without tearing up.

However, Aang and Toph grew much closer.

At this point, they were fourteen. They looked like it, too - their features were sharper, and they were both several inches taller.

Aang, someone who usually loved being around his friends, became more rebellious.

Toph, someone who usually was loud and outgoing, became quieter and detached.

Because at this point, all they had was each other.

While they were alone, while everyone was asleep - the four shared a home in Republic City - they would sit outside and just talk to each other, about their feelings and problems, goals and views. Everything, since there was no one else in the world who would listen to them.

"I miss them, sometimes. My parents," Toph said one night. "I heard they had another child. A perfect, seeing, tiny little girl. What they wanted. And I don't even know her name."

Aang just looked at her. He had no words deep enough to reach the depths of her despair.

It was about two months after they'd started confiding in each either. While Toph cried and sobbed about her ruined relationship with her parents, Aang took her hand. He squeezed it, and he felt so close to the blind girl - he'd known her for not even a year, yet he knew her better than anyone. He looked down at the grass.

"You'll always have me. I'll never leave you. You're irreplaceable." He had no idea where the words came from - but he knew they were true.

She launched herself into his chest, and he held her, tight. She didn't know what to say. They often didn't have any words for each other. Just their presence, their warmth, their being there. And together, they cried. They did that a lot.

Two opposites, through their heartbreaks that they'd had in thirteen years, were half empty. Two halves make a whole.

It took a while, but each day, a little bit of each other mixed together, and after a year and a half, they felt whole. They were a scattered puzzles missing their pieces, so they used each other. They were one person, even if they were like North and South.


	5. Unpredictable

**So, here it is, what you've been waiting for: ALMOST! I SWEAR, THIS IS THE LAST CHAPTER. THE NEXT ONE AND ALL THE ONES AFTER WE BE THE BEAUTIFUL SS TAANG. This is a Zutara chapter. But if you're reading this just for Zutara, this is a Taang story, remember. Because Zutara here... um... well... let's just say... it doesn't end up well...:P**

**R&R please! I really really want reviews for this chapter please :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, setting, bla bla bla...**

**Chapter 5- Unpredictable**

Three weeks later, life was stable for Team Avatar, and they started thinking about the future. None of them were very happy at the moment, with the walls between them, so Katara and Sokka took action.

"We're moving back to the South Pole."

The Water Tribe siblings walked into their quiet shared home, and without a greeting, Sokka blurted out his and Katara's plans.

Aang jerked his head up; he'd been making some lunch for him and Toph since they didn't expect their roommates back for another couple hours.

"Gran-Gran is getting older, and the South Pole really needs help recovering. It's our home, and we've been neglecting it. They're sending a boat for us to arrive in a week."

Silence.

Feet shuffling.

Eyes staring around.

The usual.

"Oh," Toph said.

"Yeah."

"So."

"Um."

"I guess-"

"This is good-bye-"

"For now."

"For now."

"Uh, I, um..."

"Hmm..."

"Bye."

"Bye."

"We'll miss you."

"Yeah."

"We'll miss you too."

"Uh-"

"I think I'm going to go start packing." Sokka quickly left the room.

Katara followed him. "I will too."

The siblings spent almost the entire week avoiding Toph and Aang.

Then they left.

One morning, they were gone.

Like almost everyone else in Aang and Toph's life.

Katara tried to occupy herself. She was confused, scared, and unsure, so she made herself as busy as possible to keep her focusing on her emotions.

Aang. How she'd broken his heart, which was broken enough.

Zuko, who'd broken hers, just as he'd returned as full-time, accepted Firelord.

"Zuko?"

"Yeah, Katara?"

They were alone; the fire they'd been through eighteen months ago burned the palace to ashes, and Zuko had had it rebuilt to the way it was before the war: softer, warmer, less intimidating. A kind, welcoming warmth ran throughout the entire building. He was in the throne room, thinking to himself, when Katara entered the room unexpectedly.

"So, I know that you really like Mai-" she walked forward slowly, more like shuffling, not looking at him directly.

"Yes."

"But, um, I really like you-"

Zuko looked down at her, eyes open and alert all of a sudden. Their eyes locked.

"Over the time we worked together - I learned what a great person you are. After all this time, you are still a caring, wholesome person. And I admire that about you. I love it. Zuko, I know we're leading our lives in different directions, but I - I... I love you! And I to change to be with you. I want to be with you, Zuko. I do, and I want to be by your side all your life!" She was crying out all her feelings she'd had over Zuko the past while; there was a lot.

Zuko got up, slowly, staring into space. Katara was huddled in a ball, hands in knees, crying, just like when he'd been with her in Ba Sing Se, during the coo. He walked slowly and smoothly toward her; he had no idea what to think.

"Katara..."

She continued to cry; she knew it wouldn't work out well. She knew it. He wouldn't want her back. Why would Zuko love me? she thought. I didn't do anything to deserve him!

He looked down at her. He was right before her. He reached out his hand.

The sobs stopped and the room was perfectly quiet except for the crackling fire in the background. Katara's hot, teary red face looked up at Zuko, and she softly took his hand and got up. They kept each other's eye contact for a while. Then she hugged him. Zuko stumbled back, surprised. He couldn't even think about hugging back.

"Zuko. Zuko, say something."

"Katara..."

She was crying again. After a minute, which felt like forever, she pulled back, and too fast for him to respond, she pulled him and kissed him. On the lips.

He kissed her back.

After they pulled her apart, he stared at her in silence. He thought about Katara, and then he thought about Mai. He knew in his heart, what had to be done.

"Katara... Katara, I can't. I'm in love with Mai."

She sucked in another sob and walked backwards, toward the doors. "I know.. I know... I'm sorry, Zuko. I should be going. I shouldn't have come in the first place. I'm sorry." She turned around, and ran out of the palace, crying, into the dark hallway, since it still wasn't lit.

Zuko just stood out at the closed door.

Just like the door to Katara's heart.

He knew he cared about her. In some way he knew he did. But he also loved Mai; deep in his heart, he had a felling that he had to say no. He knew he had to give up the possibility of loving Katara.

He tried to push thoughts of her away as much as he could. Her smile, her tears, her love, her hurt. He tried to forget. He did in a way. He became purely Fire Nation, and tried to forget about the rest of the world. Because if he did, he'd end up hurting about her.

Six months later, he proposed to Mai.

She said yes.

They got married.

Had a child.

Iroh passed away.

He had another child.

Azula passed away from a brain tumor.

He continued to lead the Fire Nation.

They never found his mother.

Life still went on.

He and Mai had their final child.

Life went on.

Tragedy struck, and he almost collapsed entirely, since the pain was too much. But we're still not there yet.

Life went on.

He and Mai grew old.

His firstborn took the position of Firelord.

He passed away.

He lived a good life, but the entire time he never knew if he'd chose the right one, that quiet day in the throne room.

I don't think we'll ever know.

You can't predict what never happened.


	6. The Beginning

**Sooooooo haya there! Back for Chapter 6! TAANG! Finally.**

**R&R I'm fairly new so any feedback (minus flames) is much appreciated!**

**I know there are a lot of typos in my story, I swear to you I read carefully through my writing like 2-3 times before I publish, but it's hard to correct what I've written... once this thing is fully complete, I'll update every chapter and try to get rid of every typo! We have hope!**

**And I do put line breaks in my stories but they don't go through :O that's why the scene changes randomly sometimes... but I think I've got it this time...**

**This chapter isn't angsty! :O Surprising for me! It's fluffy and tried to add a bit of comedy... and failed...**

**Chapter 6- The Beginning**

* * *

The Avatar and the metalbender were eighteen now. Time goes by quickly.

Sokka and Katara were living in the South Pole, unhappily.

Toph and Aang lived in Republic City, happier, but not exactly happy. They got a new apartment, with only two bedrooms, Aang was busy with Republic City and Toph joined the police force. They were closer than imaginable, but they were so uncertain for the future - and it was coming quickly, for example, the last four years went by like a week.

* * *

Aang had been exhausted the morning it all began - Toph, his best friend in the world, had been out all night, since there was an emergency, and being on the police force, she was called into action at nearly midnight.

Aang, worried sick, couldn't sleep, so sat by the window in his bedroom, listening for any updates on the radio, staring out for anything that could show him how Toph was doing - at around three, he unwillingly fell asleep. He felt sick when he woke up - Toph was the only thing on his mind.

"Toph?" he said, jumping out of bed. "Toph! You home?" he turned off the radio, which was just babbling on about something he wasn't very interested in, some new sport called 'Pro-Bending.' Everyone seemed to be raving about it.

Aang ran into Toph's room - it was a mess, like usual, but Toph definitely hadn't stepped in it since the night before.

"Toph!" He raced down the stairs.

And he heard a sound that relieved about twenty tons off of his chest - a groan from the couch.

There was Toph, still in her uniform, asleep, half of her body lying off the side of the couch.

"Toph!"

She rubbed her eyes - she began to regain consciousness. "Twinkle Toes...?"

He ran over to the blind earthbender and pulled her into a hug. Toph immediately woke up, alert. She wrapped her arms around his warm body.

"I was so worried," he whispered. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah..." she whispered back. "I got home around... four, I think... I fell asleep on the couch..." Toph fell asleep again, in Aang's arms. He squeezed her small body closer, and whispered, "I was so worried."

He picked up Toph and put her in her bed.

And as he walked out of her room to make breakfast, he looked back in the doorway, and realized - looking at Toph, curled up, a mess, sleeping, he realized something...

...He was in love with Toph.

And it scared the living crap out of him.

* * *

It's all he thought while making his breakfast, which was more like brunch, since it was ten - he woke up late that morning.

He was scared - he wouldn't be able to handle it if this love ended like it did with Katara.

But he was excited. Love can do that. In fact, the thought of being with Toph put a smile on his. A big, goofy, childish grin that he hadn't put on in a long, long time.

He was so lost in thought that he didn't see or hear Toph coming downstairs.

She rubbed her eyes. "What are you smile about, Twinkle Toes?"

Aang just broadened his smile, if that was possible. He shrugged. "Oh, nothing..." He handed Toph a plate of food. She smiled back at him and chuckled. "Sure thing, Twinkle Toes."

They sat down and exchanged glances as they ate. No words were necessary. That often happened - it's like they were telepathic, the way they could tell each other's feelings and thoughts by just looking at one another.

"Seriously, Twinkle Toes, _what_ has you so happy this morning?"

Aang just got up, walked over to the sink, put his plate in it, and turned around to look at her. Leaning on the counter, he said, "What do you think? You're safe," and walked out of the room. Toph just sat there, jaw opened, a huge smile forming on her face as a thought came together - and it wasn't a bad thought at all.

Once she was done eating, Toph went upstairs and opened the door to Aang's room without knocking. She leaned in the doorway.

"They're giving me the day off today," she said, a strange, mischevious face on. "You wanna do something?"

Aang was shirtless, putting on his robe. One he was dressed, he turned around, took her hand and pulled all the way out the door before saying, "I'd love to."

* * *

Before long, they were wandering through the streets of Republic City, hand in hand, laughing like maniacs. They visited shops, snacked in random restaurants, goofed around. They ran around in the park, stopped to recover their breath from laughing so hard a few times, Aang even bought her a necklace and some flowers. Toph didn't even ask any questions about that, which is usually something perceived as a romantic interaction, not a best-friend interaction- but on yet another occasion, no words were needed. She didn't want to spoil the moment, either. They pretended nothing was different.

Far too soon, it was six o'clock, so Aang ran fast down a busy sidewalk and tugged Toph along with him.

"Twinkle Toes!" she laughed. "You idiot! Where are you bringing me this time?"

"You'll see, Sifu!"

He brought her into a restaurant, filled with couples. He'd been planning to take her to dinner there since they'd left the apartment. He pulled her into his side, gripping her arm, leaned in and whispered into her ear, "Ready to eat, Sifu Toph?" His closeness and warm breath made Toph blush insanely.

"Sure."

A waiter came up to them. "Dinner for two?"

Aang used his free hand to mess with Toph's hair. "Yep."

The waiter wrote something down in his notebook, unamused - this was a romantic restaurant, he saw actions like this every day. "You two dating?"

They just ignored the waiter. Toph pulled away from Aang and gave him her familiar punch in the shoulder. "What are you doing?"

Aang continued to stare at her and smile. "Nothing."

During dinner, they continued to joke around about anything and everything. They walked out, took each other's hands at the same time, and walked back to their apartment building. They walked slowly, though, and took one stop in the park because they got cramps for laughing and walking while stuffed. By the time they got home, it was past ten. As soon as he closed the door, Aang looked down at Toph, brushing his fingers from the top of her head, down her neck, collarbone, arm, then he brought them back up to fiddle with her necklace.

Toph put on a small smile and looked down at her feet. She held onto Aang's shoulder. "What are we doing?"

Aang could have thought back to Katara, that time he daydreamed about her saying that in a similar situation. He could have thought about the past, and the hurt. But he didn't. Toph was the only thing on his mind. He kissed the top of Toph's forehead without any hesitation, making her blush a lot. "What we've been meaning to do for a long for a long time." He took her chin, pushed her face up so their eyes locked for a moment, then took her by the hips and pulled her in for a kiss. She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and went on her tiptoes, kissing back. They stayed that way for a long time, before they both had to pull away for air. But they never lost eye contact, before Aang raised an eyebrow and said, "So, g'night?"

Toph pulled him in fro a short peck. "Night, Twinkle Toes."

They took each other's hand and walked upstairs together. They turned and smiled at each other, giving a little wave, and walked into their rooms.

It was the perfect day for the beginning of something extraordinary.


End file.
